After establishing a marvelous, organic metaphor at the beginning of chapter 2 in his first epistle concerning our enjoyment of Christ in His word as the nourishing milk is to a new born babe, the apostle Peter suddenly changes the metaphor to something mineral; he picks up the thought of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah even quoting him in chapter 28:16 “Therefore thus says The Lord Jehovah: Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, A tested stone, A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; He who believes will not hasten away.” Peter shows us that the same Christ who is the very milk in the word to the believers is also this stone; a tested, precious cornerstone for the foundation of God’s building. But Peter then goes even further than Isaiah and points out that this stone chose by God and precious can also be a stone of stumbling or even a fence to those who don’t believe.

At times the apostle Peter’s way of writing in his New Testament epistles seems very strange. Though his content is quite high, he breaks many rules of composition by mixing metaphors and awkward use of grammar. For example in chapter 2 of 1 Peter he describes the spiritual nourishment in the word of God by comparing it to the nourishing milk of a nursing mother for her new born babe. But then without any apparent transition the metaphor changes to Christ being a stone for the building up of God’s house. As a work of literature we might have a ground to criticize Peter, but as a conveyor of rich spiritual content, we will see today that Peter’s writing is full of the divine thought and deep experiential enlightenment.

What is it to grow spiritually? Well, many think that to grow as a Christian is simply to acquire more Scriptural knowledge through diligent study of the Bible. But genuine spiritual growth as apostle Peter indicates in his first epistle, is to take the word of God not merely as doctrinal knowledge but rather, as food as nourishment. In fact he likens nourishment in the Word to milk, nourishing a growing infant. This picture in 1 Peter confirms the genuine growth in the Christian life is organic and not academic.

We have been regenerated with a divine life of God. And just as new born babe, our first requirement is to take the real nourishing supply so this divine life can grow within us.

In first Corinthians the apostle Paul confronts the difficult situation in the church there in a very wise way. He first identifies that their problems would due primarily to a shortage of the growth in the divine life. Although they had received the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit they were still infants or babes in Christ.

He then unveils to them the marvelous progression of God’s economy. First they need to realize that they are all plants growing on God’s farms. Then the goal is to be built up together into a building and finally that this building is destined to become God’s dwelling place, His temple.

How about you and me? Have we received such a vision, such a revelation or are we like the Corinthians satisfied to remain in our spiritual infancy and hang on to personal preferences in our own traditions?

In the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul stresses one thing, Christ. This is his wisdom in pointing the believers’ in these problems laden church to the one unique solution to all the problems in the Christian life and in the church life.

But in chapter three he turned his focus to the church. Writing about the church in a marvelous way without even ever using the term, church. In this book his speaking related to the church is not according to the doctrine and teaching regarding the church life but according to the life and the growth in life.

We can draw water from the wells of salvation and we can be saved day by day in His life. The Bible is a book of life. The gospel of John reveals Christ as life to us but Romans brings us fully into the experience of this life.

This is easily one of the most important portions of the Bible for our Christian life. What is the most marvelous relationship that we’re going to see between the gospel of John and the book of Romans? John shows us that Christ as life meets the need of every man’s case – whatever our case is, whatever kind of need we have, whatever kind of condition or situation we’re in – Christ as life meets our need! But John doesn’t show us in particular the way we can experience Christ as life. more…

Romans (Program #28) – Transformation in Practicing the Body Life and in Subjection, Love and Warfare

In all of our experiences we need to have the real expression of the life of Christ in all that we do; in our behavior, in our habits, in our ways, we like to be living out Christ.

The emphasis that Paul places on the gifts both in Romans and also in Corinthians. He surely acknowledges the so call the gifts of the Spirit but it seems that his emphasis is on the gifts that help us in the growth of life. Witness Lee picked up the concept and the revelation that came through our brother Paul. Paul was very much on the gifts that have to do with the growth in life. Regarding the gifts of the Spirit, this is one area that has been very much misunderstood by a lot of Christians. more…

Our destiny in Christ as we will see today is not to die and go to heaven but to become heirs of glory, fully conformed to the image of God’s Firstborn Son.

Christ is not only the only begotten Son of God with respect to His eternal deity but He is also in God’s economy the Firstborn son. The New Testament gives us a full and balanced revelation concerning Christ. It is an undeniable fact that Christ always was, is, and always will be with respect to Godhead the only begotten Son of God. This is His status eternally in the Godhead but when the Son of God as the embodiment of the Father and by the Spirit, became a man, He took on humanity. more…